Page 35 of For the Love of the Bull Rider

Matt kissed him silly, as he was known to do without much provocation. Their tongues tangled together, and Tim could taste cinnamon from the gum the bull rider liked to chew when he was nervous.

Tim laughed at the man’s chomping when he was trying to teach Matt how to use the new software programs that Tim had written to assist with ranch business. The more frustrated Matthew became, the faster he’d chew. Tim thought it was cute.

Matt finally gave Tim a little breathing room and guided him toward the screen door, stopping to take off his dress boots before he went into the house. Matt wasn’t a fan of mopping the floors, as Tim had come to learn.

“My lawyer’s name is Jonathon Wells in case he calls here. I told him ‘bout the call from the lady lawyer, and he took down all the stuff I could tell him about Janelle Rowland and Mona Stanford. Based on what we were able to find out, I’m gonna need to cancel our trip to DC. I gotta go to El Paso on Friday mornin’ with him.” Matt looked concerned.

“What the hell is in El Paso?” Tim couldn’t for the life of him figure out why Matt had to go to El Paso, but if he did, then he did. Tim just wanted to know his lover wasn’t going to get himself into trouble.

Before the bull rider could answer, Ryan came running into the room in sweatpants, a long sleeve T-shirt, and thick socks. He hurled himself at Matt, who scooped him up and kissed his temple. “How was school, little man?”

The two of them chatted while Tim went to clean up the bathroom mess, which wasn’t as messy as he thought it would be. Ryan had even stretched out his damp towel over the side of the bathtub to dry before it went into the laundry basket. Regarding them living together, things were heading in the right direction.

Matt built a fire in the fireplace and the three of them roasted hot dogs using the tree switches cut from a white ash in the back yard. After the impromptu campout dinner, they made a pillow fort/bed on the living room floor and listened to music instead of watching television.

Tim read two chapters out loud in the mystery book he and Ryan had been reading together, and the three of them discussed it while they had ice cream with chocolate cookiesprinkles. They all settled down on the floor, insisting it wasn’t bedtime, as they watched Ryan trying to hide his yawns.

Ryan turned to his side to look at his father. “Can we go to the mall in Roanoke on Black Friday? I have money I saved from doin’ chores at Gramma’s house and my ‘lowance. I wanna buy somethin’, and I need to see Santa.” Ryan was very serious.

Matt moved Ryan to sit on his stomach and motioned his head for Tim to move closer to them. Once the three were settled, Matt looked at his son and smoothed back his curly hair. “You need a haircut, little man. Tell me, what do you need to buy? Do you have your letter for Santa ready so soon?”

The boy shook his head. “I wanna go to a store where they sell warm coats, and I don’t need a letter to Santa ‘cause I don’t want nothin’ this year. I got what I wanted last year. This is for somebody who don’t get to go see Santa, Daddy.”

Tim remembered the earlier discussion. “Is this about Rocky Whipple?” He took Ryan’s hand and held it. Matt turned to look at him with a cocked eyebrow, so Tim knew he needed to explain.

“Ryan has a classmate, Rocky Whipple. It sounds as though his mother’s ill, and the family is having a hard time with finances. I don’t know them, but I don’t know too many people in town. Do you know them?” Tim glanced at Ryan to see his eyes were drooping a little, so he pointed toward the boy.

Matt nodded and pulled Ryan down to his chest to spread out. “I know Cindy Whipple from Bertie. They were in the same class in school. Seems Cindy moved up to Northern Virginia to go to hair dressin’ school and ended up in the family way. She moved back after the boy was born and from what I’ve heard, she’s had a hard time ‘cause her folks wouldn’t help her out. Rocky’s biracial and her parents don’t approve, apparently.

“Cindy’s stuck around here since she don’t know anywhere else to be, kinda like me. I can check on her to see if there’ssomethin’ I can do.” Matt glanced down, smiling at Tim when he pointed to the sleeping boy. They situated him between them, tucking him in tightly.

“We don’t have to sleep on the floor, do we?” Matt started to get up.

Tim pulled him back down. “Actually, babe, we do. Ryan needs traditions to record in his journal for school, so we’re going to make some. We’re sleeping in the fort tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll take him over to Aunt Katie’s to help with Thanksgiving dinner while you and the boys do whatever you’ve got planned here.

“On Friday, we’ll take you to the airport and then go to the mall to shop. Those can be some new traditions, though I hope you don’t always have to go to El Paso on the Friday after Thanksgiving.” Tim allowed himself to be drawn into the blue eyes which seemed to be able to see into his soul.

“I’m gonna go change then. I’ll be right back, okay?” Matt quietly rose from the cozy pillow and blanket fort they’d made with couch cushions, bed pillows, and some homemade quilts. The fire was burning low, but it was just enough light to spread a glow throughout the little house.

After Matt left them, Tim snuggled up closer to Ryan and studied him. He was the most remarkable little person Tim believed he’d ever met, though he hadn’t met many. The boy had a heart of gold, and Tim wanted to make sure nobody, and he meantnobody, tainted it. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep the boy from the evils of the world forever, but he’d watch over Ryan Collins and keep him from the dregs of society as long as possible.

Chapter Fifteen

Tim woke with a jolt. The house phone was ringing, but it was still dark outside. He prayed it wasn’t bad news that made the phone blast off at that hour.

He hurried out of the fort to grab the handset on the end table by the couch. “Circle C.” He was surprised to be coherent enough to remember it was Matt’s home and not the Katydid.

“Who’s this?” The female voice was slurring a little, and it pissed off Tim. Drunk dialing wasn’t welcomed at… four o’clock in the morning.Fucking hell!

“Someone who was sleeping soundly before you called. How about you go sleep it off?” He hung up the phone and turned off the ringer in the living room in case the idiot called back.

Tim returned to the comfy, inviting spot they’d created on the floor of the family room and snuggled between Matt, who had moved behind him at some point, and Ryan, who was burrowed into the blankets in front of Tim like a little bug.

The boy looked so damn cute, and as Tim settled into his spot, both of the Collins’ men moved toward him. He pulled Ryan into his arms as Matt did the same for Tim, and the smell of the two of them consumed him.

Ryan had that soft, clean, little-boy smell, which put a smile on Tim’s face. His Matt smelled of spice and man. It was very comforting.

The next time he woke, Ryan was sitting next to him, slowly poking Tim’s forehead. “Why on earth would you do that?” Matt wasn’t behind him.

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